My own tiny rock garden.

[Cephalotus]

Hello everyone,
last days I have negotiated a small space for my own rock garden. I know that it is more symbolic but for me it is all I can have. I had to think how to grow on it two types of plants. One that likes ‘Ca2+’ in soil and second that grow only on granite. I thought about three slopes (lets say). On the photo: from left to right, from right to left and from behind forward. On almost whole left side are growing species that like granite. On the right are species that like Ca in soil. And between them are species that can successfully grow on both types of soil. Almost all species are typical alpines, only few do not grow in mountains.



(Could you help me fine a word for "a species that LIKES something" for example: species that likes the soil to be acid pH... I cannot find that anywhere.)

Here is the list of species that are and will be in my small rock garden (with reseres space):

Calcium rich soil:
Androsace lactea - must get
Campanula cochlearifolia
Crocus scepusiensis
Gentiana clusii
Gentiana verna - ordered
Leontopodium alpinum
Phyteuma orbiculare
Primula auricula
Primula halleri - must get
Pulsatilla slavica
Saxifraga caesia - ordered
Saxifraga oppositifolia
Saxifraga paniculata
Trollius altissimus - must get
Veronica acaulis
+ 2 free spaces

Middle area:
Campanula barbata
Dianthus arenarius
Dianthus glacialis - must get
Dianthus superbus
Gentiana pneumonanthe (foil)
Parnassia palustris (foil)
Pulsatilla pratensis ssp. nigricans
Silene acaulis
Swertia perennis (on foil)
+ one free space

Granite rich soil:
Anemone narcisiflora
Gentiana punctata
Geum montanum
Primula minima
Pulsatilla vernalis
Pulsatilla alpina - must get
Sempervivum montanum
+ one free space

(There are still many species I am looking for.)

Few photos:

Gentiana clusii (got from johanneshoeller)


Swertia perennis (got thanks to Thomas Huber)


Primula auricula (got from johanneshoeller)


Veronica aphylla


Pulsatilla pratensis ssp. nigricans


Pulsatilla slavica


Pulsatilla vernalis


I cannot wait until my garden will get its last species shape and start flowering.

[Lesley Cox]

Well done Krzysztof, it is a great start but I'm sure you'll be looking for more space soon.

When something likes something, like lime, you could say it is a calciphile I suppose. Calcifuge means that it HATES lime. My knowledge of my own language is letting me down here. Someone who loves the French and all things French is a francophile and the opposite would be francophobe. Not sure about acid though An acidophile? doesn't really sound right though, does it?

[Cephalotus]

Thank you Lesley for helping me finding the word. Sometimes the simple things are the most complicated.

[Thomas Huber]

Great bed, Chris !!!
Still no sign of the Gladiolus 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Great start Chris !
You are what we could call "a man with a plan" !
I agree with Lesley, you will soon be looking for more space 

[Cephalotus]

Please, do not scare me with that looking for more space. It is a miracle, that I got some for my rock garden. I must say, that I understand all hotheads what have limited space. It will always be too little, poor we. 

Thomas, I know that you can only see two plants of three Swertia you got for me. Do not worry, the biggest one is in my cousins garden and grow just fine. It will even flower this year in stead of mine two. Last year mine flowered and her not, now it will be opposite. (Do not worry about the Gladiolus one day I will get it, I can wait.)

[Paul T]

Krysztof,

Great bed there.... looking foward to seeing future pics as it matures.  What Gladiolus are you looking for?

[Cephalotus]

I am looking for Gladiolus palustris.

I also would like to inform you all, that I have switched  almost all rock in my garden into much thinner. So that I have much more space. I will add new photos when I get back home.

[Paul T]

I grow a few species Glads, but not that one unfortunately.  I thought I'd ask just in case I had it to share.

[WimB]

Hello Krysztof,

your rock garden looks very nice. I hope you get the species you're still looking for...

And I have to agree too about the fact that soon you'll be searching for more space, it's always like that...

[Cephalotus]

I want to share with you with my rock garden new outlook. I replaced almost all rocks, beside four the biggest ones. I need to do that, because there were too many species I wanted to plant on it, and I had no space to do that.

Well done Krzysztof, it is a great start but I'm sure you'll be looking for more space soon.

Why had you be right?

After that replacement, I gained 5 new sectors. Now my rock garden is almost compleated. I need only one last species: Dianthus glacialis



Swertia perennis ssp. alpestris, which Thomas helped me to buy is flowering now fully. Also two Gentiana clusii seem to go mad, because they started to produce flowers. (Two plants) This Sunday I spent about 6 hours sitting and looking at my rock garden. I just couldn't go away. That is indescribable feeling.

I almost forgot, I sown Crocus scepusiensis seeds in different sectors. It will flower when the other species will still sit in the ground. I cannot wait for that to see!

[Lesley Cox]

Perhaps you could squeeze in a few more little crocuses Krzysztof. I am having a lot of pleasure from mine at present and it's still winter here!

[Maggi Young]

The garden is looking good.... so much growth already, very pleasing!

[Cephalotus]

Leasly, why had you be so right, why? I have rebuild my rock garden for the third time. I think that it will be finally the last one, because  I cannot think about any other species I would like to see on it and there is really no more space to make it any bigger. I only plan to ADD one small segment to plant there temperate Pinguicula, that grow in my country and that would be all. There are still few species I am looking for but I thought about them and "booked" them a place to grow.

I will firstly add photos of my last piece of art and than say something in addition.







I would like to say, that I have found really great, great, great, ..., great place to buy species from Tatra Mountains. I really regret, that Poles hadn’t the same idea, but gladly someone had. A friend have told me, that in Tratras Botanical Garden in Slovakia are many species sold from their parts of the mountains. Of course they have collected once some in nature and propagated by their selves. There were about 60 species in the beginning! And many really awesome!! I will write what I have bought:

Silene acaulis
Dianthus glacialis x 3
Dianthus nitidus x 3
Dianthus speciosus x 2
Swertia perennis ssp. alpestris
Saxifraga oppositifolia
Trollius altissimus
Delphinium oxysephalum x 2
Primula minima
Hedysarum hedysaroides x 2
Astragalus australis x 2

I think, that it is all. I brought with me 5 bags of plants. Plus these from Warsaw (e.g. Saxifraga bryoides) I had 6 bags and over 15 kg for each hand. I could make about 50 m with that and I were loosing my sense in both arms. But it was so worth! Now my rock garden is full like never before. I even put Soldanellas in the shaded part.

As I know they sell plants from end of May and I was on the beginning of September so I was glad to buy so many species... I plan to go there again to buy wanting species and that would be all. I also thought if not to take some more plants for any of SRGC Forum member, but believe me, there was no chance I could take anything more. If only I could go there by a car, than it would be different.

I learned how to grow Saxifraga oppositifolia. They had two carpets of this species. All were placed in northern-east site so the plant had only eastern sun. I did the same, we will see the results in the spring.

[Thomas Huber]

....I only plan to ASS one small segment ....

Chris, I like your slang     Isn't it funny, how a little mistake can change the sense of a posting

Great art work you did with your rockgarden. Won't you like to join me, building my new one?